Tasting- Beliveau Estate Reflection

Name:  Reflection

Varietal:  100% Traminette

Region:  SW Virginia

Country:  USA

Year:  2011

Price:  $24

Winery Critic:  This hearty Traminette has complex notes of apricot, lychee, and lemon.  This wine is a luscious and bold sipping wine.  **Gold Medal Winner**

My Review:  This wine was not available for tasting by the glass.  However, my friend Sarah bought a bottle for us to share and try out.  It was tart on the nose and had hints of apricots and citrus fruits.  It was very sweet on the palate with a lot of apricot coming through.  Not my favorite of the day because I am not a huge fan of apricots.  Overall a very well-made wine.  I wouldn't give it a gold medal or anything but it wasn't bad!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Beliveau Estate Serenity

Name:  Serenity

Varietal:  100% Chambourcin

Region:  SW Virginia

Country:  USA

Year:  2011

Price:  $19

Winery Critic:  This after dinner favorite is a blend of two Chambourcins.  Its decedent yet mellow flavor pairs fabulously with Chocolate.  Silver Medalist!

My Review:  This wine was slightly tart on the nose.  It had hints of raspberries and dark cherries.  When tasting this wine it had a medium body and was slightly fruity.  A decent wine on its own.  

I tried this wine with dark chocolate chips and it was absolutely amazing!!  100x better with the chocolate.  The chocolate really mellowed out the wine and allowed it to sing in a whole new way (and I don't even like chocolate).  A very interesting and delicious combination!

Tasting- Beliveau Estate Rainbow

Name:  Rainbow, American Zinfandel

Varietal:  100% Zinfandel

Region:  SW Virginia

Country:  USA

Year:  2011

Price:  $24

Shop Critic:  Full-bodied with the peppery overtones that Zins are known for.  Enjoy this spicy Red Zinfandel with beef or blue cheese!

My Review:  The nose was lighter and fruitier than other Zinfandels I've tried.  It was very spicy on my palate with lots of black pepper over raspberries.  I really enjoyed this wine more than some of the other zinfandels they offered.  16.1% alcohol and you wouldn't even know.  I think the spice really covered up the alcohol well.  

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Beliveau Estate Summer Rose

Name:  Summer Rose Table Wine

Varietal:  50% Chambourcin, 50% Leon Millot

Region:  SW Virginia

Country:  USA

Year:  2012

Price:  $15

Winery Critic:  A yummy blend of reds.

My Review:  This wine had a very light nose.  Notes of fresh apples, strawberries, and raspberries.  When tasting this wine I was first hit with a lot of residual sweetness but when I let the wine sit in my mouth this really delicious flavor of cinnamon apples and cloves came through!  It was a really awesome surprise and I had never had a wine change flavors so distinctly before.  This was a very interesting and overall great wine!  I could see myself sitting on my couch in the winter time enjoying this wine.  Great!!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Beliveau Estate A Cappella

Name:  A Cappella Red Table Wine
Varietal:  100% Landot Noir
Region:  Virginia
Country:  USA
Year:  NV
Price:  $16

Shop Critic:  This 100% Landot Noir is light yet fruity with distinct overtones of blueberry.  This is a wonderful sipping wine.

My Review:  The nose on this wine was very light, sweet, and fruit forward.  It had notes of strawberries and blueberries.  When tasting this wine I was reminded immediately of concord grape juice and blueberry.  It had a very thick, jammy quality.  Very unique and a great wine to drink on a summer day!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.

Tasting- Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Name:  Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Varietal:  60% Semillon, 36% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Muscadelle

Region:  Sauternes

Country:  France

Year:  2004

Price:  $7.95

Shop Critic:  Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body.  Shows vanilla, apple and melon flavors, with a medium finish.  Lightly sweet.

My Review:  This was probably one of the weirdest wines I have ever smelled.  It was very crisp with some lemon and honey but was completely overpowered by this weird alcohol smell almost like petrol or antiseptic mouthwash (not mint).  After tasting this wine, I was even more confused.  It tasted a little bit like vanilla extract gone really bad.  It was super sweet but not in a good way.  It also kind of reminded me a little bit of those freeze-y pops you can get in the summer time in the plastic tubes that you freeze but the yellow artificial pineapple flavor.  Very strange, very unique, and very not for me.

I drank this wine with no food pairings.

Tasting- Torre Castillo Alegre

Name:  Torre Castillo Alegre

Varietal:  100% Monastrell

Region:  Jumilla

Country:  Spain

Year:  2010

Price:  $9.95

Shop Critic:  4 months in new American oak barrels.  Bright ruby-red.  Dried cherry, pipe tobacco and rose aromas with a hint of woodsmoke.  Sweet and fleshy on the palate, with blackberry and cherry flavors complimented by licorice and a suggestion of dried herbs.  The cherry and smoke notes repeat on the finish.  

My Review:   This wine was deep dark red in color.  It smelled just like fig newtons or prunes with some musty smoke in the background.  After I smelled this wine a couple more times, however, some interesting black licorice hints were coming through.  This wine was sharp on my throat, had no fruit and was extremely oak-y and smokey.  It was SO DRY people around me were almost coughing as they tasted this wine.  It was also a bit vegetative, which I thought was weird.  I really did not like this wine and would not get this one again!

I drank this wine on its own with no food pairings.